Passing Through
by Alexithymea
Summary: The journey from Hershel's destroyed farm is full of unexpected discoveries. The first being a stronghold in the middle of nowhere. When Daryl meets the first person who intrigues him since the Walkers appeared, what will he sacrifice to keep her around? Rated M for later chapters. Daryl/OC.
1. U R MAD

The sun was bright and slightly blinding as it reflected off the metal of the cars as the group passed. Daryl Dixon wove in between them all as he kept an eye on the cars running in the median of the highway. They had no real destination, just trying to stay as far away from the horde of geeks as they could. Daryl's bike growled underneath him as he narrowed his eyes towards the horizon. A large building loomed ahead of them, something that he had been traveling steadily towards, the rest following along.

Glenn leaned out the window of the car Maggie was driving, climbing out so he was sitting in the window with his rifle in hand resting on the roof as he signaled for Daryl to come closer. The bike swerved in between a couple of wrecked cars as Daryl brought it closer.

"That structure up ahead!" the kid yelled over the sound of wind and vehicle. "Mags says it wasn't there before! And I don't remember seeing it when we came!"

Daryl nodded and pointed with his hand. "I'll go ahead and check it out! Keep your asses behind me!"

The engine revved as Daryl sped up and took off, riding expertly on both dirt and pavement as he came closer to the metal walls. It wasn't a building, he could see that much even from this distance. It was a wall, a large one, built of metal sheets of some sort. He saw the oversized rivets holding it together as well as the gated entrance facing the north.

It encircled an area of almost a half mile as far as Daryl could tell. He hit the throttle again, hearing the sound of the cars behind him following. Rocks were flung by his tires as he barreled past everything, heading straight for the structure. The closer he came, the more his keen eyes caught. A watch post every fifteen yards on the wall, two next to the entrance. Men pacing on the posts, guns easily recognizable from the shapes of the bodies. The occasional glint of sun on glass told him that they at least had eyes on the group coming up fast.

Daryl wove his way back onto the road, hitting his top safe speed easier on the pavement than the rocky dirt at the edge. The sound of the cars falling behind told him that he was now on his own. It made things a little easier when he wasn't worried about people getting hurt other than himself. Daryl could protect himself.

As he pulled up alongside the wall, he could feel eyes on him. He wasn't a geek, so didn't earn a bullet to the brain for approaching. At least not yet.

Stopping the bike, Daryl dismounted near the front entrance. The steel door was at least twenty feet high, higher than any of the undead could make it. This wasn't just a structure. It was a fortress. It was a safe haven.

"Knock knock!" Daryl yelled up to the sentries near the door. "Anyone home?"

"Who the hell are you?" came a male voice from above. The rifle was pointed at him, and Daryl just rolled his eyes.

"Clearly I ain't undead, so what does it matter?"

"I gotta ask," the man replied before vanishing. Daryl rolled his eyes and kicked the stand on his bike so he could push it along. The cars caught up with him and stopped, bringing up a cloud of dust as they did. Rick was the first out of the car, closely followed by Glenn and Hershel.

The large door was being pushed outward by four grown men. Three more stood behind, along with one woman, pointing what looked to be military issued weaponry. Daryl took a moment to be mildly impressed until he realized that three of those guns were trained on him. Why they chose him to be the most threatening made him almost smile. He was the roughest in appearance of the four approaching the doors. And his weapons were strapped to the bike he was currently pushing.

"Where you lot headed from?" the man who had greeted him from above asked.

Rick stepped up ahead of the rest, putting himself in the role of leader. Daryl looked away from the men talking and glanced past and into the walls. Front and center was what looked to be a large mall like building, with an obvious grocer on the first floor. Daryl stopped paying attention as they were led forward, not hearing as they were introduced to an older man, about Hershel's age, with gray hair and laugh lines around his eyes. He missed when the story of the building was shared. His eyes were busy taking in the surroundings.

It was a small city within the walls. The mall stood out, easily the center of the small civilization. A hotel stood behind that, five stories tall and the sign at the top reading "U R MAD". He could see that the 'u' was spray painted and two 'a's had been removed. Next to the hotel was a small medical center, the large cross on the side declaring it a Christian medical center.

"Daryl!" came Glenn's voice. The kid had the expression of having called him several times. Daryl turned and focused on the Asian's face, one eyebrow raised. "Robert is giving us a tour, do you want to come?"

Robert, the older man who was talking to the group, smiled at Daryl. "You are more than welcome to leave your stuff with your group's cars. It will be safe until you return."

"Yeah, fine," Daryl muttered, pushing his bike over to the cars. The clang of the metal doors shutting made him internally cringe, feeling like an animal in a trap. There was no question that this was going to take all his strength not to demand freedom. But at least they were safe for the most part.

Rick followed close behind Robert, asking him questions. Glenn walked with Maggie and Carol, his fingers interlaced with his lover's. Lori had Carl pulled close, whispering to the boy something Daryl couldn't hear. Beth and T-Dog walked with Hershel just in front of Daryl, who brought up the rear, ignoring the group's guide for the most part.

The first stop turned out to be the rather large mall. Easily seven stories tall, the front doors were propped open and had two armed guards standing just inside. The men nodded at the group as they passed. Daryl couldn't hide his heavy frown at the idea of being trapped inside such a place, but he saw the sense it made to build a safe home like this. Inside, there was a large atrium which had been turned into a daycare. Lori brought Carl over to play with the other children, but, not to Daryl's surprise, the boy seemed more concerned with watching than playing.

Daryl took the opportunity to go off on his own. He gave Rick a quick nod as he backed away from the group in order to head in the opposite direction. The grocer's was just in front of him, and he slipped in, not seeing anyone in the immediate vicinity. A few people were going through the shelves, but they didn't look twice at Daryl as he passed slowly, his eyes not missing anything. There was no dust on the shelves, no missing parts, no broken items. This place hadn't been raided, there was no disorganized chaos as he had seen everywhere else.

Someone, or more likely a great many someones, had made sure this place was still running, right down to the lights glowing above and the music playing from a CD player at the front. He heard the hum of a generator from somewhere near where the registers were. Daryl narrowed his eyes subconsciously as he walked towards the refrigerated section.

A light behind one of the double doors near the empty meat cases made him pause and look through. A girl, couldn't be older than twenty, had a pair of headphones on, the cord trailing under the blood stained white lab coat and to her pocket. She was wielding a knife, twirling it every now and then in time with the movements of her hips as she butchered something on the giant cutting board table, blood dripping from the white surface onto the floor, leaving a red streak as it moved down to the drain.

Daryl stood there near the small window and watched the brunette as she threw the cut meat into a tub sitting next to her in a cart. His eyes traveled over her body once, noting her ample form, not overweight, but not the skin and bones of someone struggling for survival. Her long hair was kept in a ponytail, braided through the hole in the back of her ball cap. He couldn't see her shirt, but a pair of black pants hugged her knees and flared outward, a contrast against the white of her coat and the room.

"Pretty, ain't she?"

Daryl turned quickly, looking at the man who had approached him silently. He was younger, shorter, and dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. His hair was cropped short, the same light brown shade as Daryl's.

"Sorry, what?" He didn't want the boy to know he knew that he had been caught staring. The hunter had one rule, not to let anyone know his weaknesses. As far as everyone else knew, he was Daryl "Fucking" Dixon, master bad-ass of the south.

"My sister," he said, gesturing with his chin. The boy took a step closer, next to the other door so he could look through the window. "Nichole. She hides in here, usually covered in blood of some sort. But still pretty as the noonday sun off the ocean." He smiled indulgently, and Daryl's frown grew.

"She your younger sister?" he asked casually, his eyes going back to the girl through the glass.

"Nah. She's older." The boy leaned against the empty meat case next to the door and shot a quick smile at Daryl. "No one believes it, but she's pushing twenty six. I'm only twenty one." His eyes moved over Daryl with an appraising look. "Name's Alex. You came in with the last group, right?"

"Yep," Daryl replied. When Alex looked at him with raised eyebrows, waiting for something, Daryl realized that he was missing an important social cue. "Oh, yeah, Daryl." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall so he could still glance through the window.

"You want to talk to her?" Alex's smile was starting to fade as he watched Daryl. "I'll have to warn you, she's...uh...not very talkative with strangers. That's why she hides herself in there. Nick's got two PhD's and she decided to be a butcher when the zombie apocalypse hit. Not that we didn't need it, but I mean, shit, she could have done anything."

"Kid, anyone ever told you you talk too much?"

Alex smiled and nodded. "About a dozen times," he replied. "I gotta go anyway. Just doing quick rounds. I'm still on probation, after all." He gave Daryl a mock salute as he headed off again, leaving the hunter next to the door.

Daryl watched the kid as he took off, shaking his head for a moment as he began to turn back towards the door. He wasn't expecting it, but the door pushed open from the other side, quick enough to slam hard into Daryl's hip, knocking him hard to the ground as a cart was shoved through the door.

"Oh my god!" came the pleasantly mild alto voice as someone rushed to his side, kneeling down next to him. A hand, still stained red, landed on his arm as he flipped himself over to look at the female kneeling next to him.

He hadn't seen her face through the window, but now that he did, Daryl realized that this girl was truly beautiful. His eyes locked on her clear, hazel orbs, the olive tanned color of her skin offsetting the red highlights in the strands of hair escaping her braid and hat to lay across her cheeks. Her lips were a perfect cupid's bow, pale pink against her skin, her nose slightly rounded at the end, making her look younger than she was. Though most would say she was pretty, but not a real beauty, Daryl's eyes saw something quite different.

"Are you okay?" she asked anxiously, checking him over.

"Fine," Daryl responded gruffly, brushing off her hand. "I would be better if you weren't crowding me."

The girl leaned back on her feet, her knees coming up so she could double over a little and look at him. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hit you," she said quietly, a little mousy. Her eyes were watching him with more than a little concern, and she looked close to a deer about to bolt.

Daryl let out a low growling sound as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, taking stock of any injuries he might have sustained from his fall. He didn't say anything as he stood slowly, noting that she stood at the same pace, almost gracefully if it weren't for the headphones hanging at her side. It was clear she had ripped them out when she hit him. Daryl could hear the music still streaming from them.

"Stupid bitch, couldn't watch where you were going?" His curse was automatic, and Daryl regretted it instantly as he ran a hand over his leg, checking for soreness. Her expression was clear enough as the girl turned and grabbed her cart, pulling it after her without so much as a goodbye.

Daryl stood there, feeling like an ass as he watched the girl vanish quickly down one of the aisles, her cart pulled behind her.


	2. Breaking Point

After years of working towards an ultimate goal of working for the government, Nichole Archer found herself working instead in a hospital in the south, interning so that she could finish up her final steps towards becoming one of the good guys. But then something worse hit, and she was caught in the hospital with no weapons and few resources. Once the hospital personal started turning, Nick hid herself in the isolation ward and waited.

Only after she watched the walkers leave did she venture out. A group of workers from down the road at the steel plant had built a barrier around the area, driving off any of the undead. Her biology courses paid off well once people started realizing they would be here for a while. Not only could she help heal people, but Nick learned that she was a top notch butcher when she put her mind to it.

Nichole quickly became invaluable to the people in this small community. She was given anything she really needed. Even her brother found her and was accepted into the group with no hesitation. Everyone accepted her quirks, no one questioned her eidetic memory, and everyone gave her respect.

This was why Nichole hated newcomers.

They always asked questions as to why the members of her group gave such a young (and young looking) woman that level of respect. With her borderline autism and general social anxiety, Nichole found that answering questions posed by people was more difficult than she liked to admit.

So Nick did her own thing and hid away until the newcomers either left or were integrated.

At this moment, however, Nichole was fleeing from one of the people who had entered with this latest group. She hadn't seen him outside the door, it had been an accident. Nick truly was sorry. His words, though, had made her flee. Not that she had an overwhelming urge to be around such a rough looking individual. His sleeveless shirt, dirty pants, unshaven face, and suspicious eyes gave her chills. It wasn't that she found him necessarily unattractive or ugly. He was just frightening.

Taking the meat to the food court, Nick stopped at the station where dinner was being made. She pushed the cart behind the counter, giving the cook a quick, half hearted wave as she backed away and moved towards the door, intent upon heading out to her room over at the hotel.

"Nichole!"

Freezing halfway across the main floor at the sound of Robert's voice, Nick turned slowly and faced the general overseer of the group. She gave a strained smile, noticing the newcomers who were tagging along.

"Rick, this is Dr. Archer. We just call her Nichole. Nick, this is Rick Grimes."

Doing her best to smile and nod, Nick continued backing very slowly towards the front door. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Grimes. If you don't mind, I have some-"

"You're a _doctor_?" One of Rick's group asked incredulously, a young Asian man. "Really? You're what, nineteen?"

Nick wrinkled her forehead, wanting to escape. "I'm twenty five. And yes. I have two PhD's. Now, I really have to be going." Nichole gave Robert another nod and turned back in the direction she was headed only to spot the man who she had hit coming from that direction. This was just not her day.

"Daryl, where have you been?" called the man Robert had introduced as Rick. "You missed most of the tour."

The man gave Rick a look, something between disinterest and disgust. "Yeah, I went on my own tour. Got a problem with that, sheriff?"

"Just be careful," Rick said quickly. Nick found herself trapped and finally turned back to the main group, feeling Daryl come up to stand beside her.

"No need. Already got into it with a local." Daryl's eyes found her face as he gave her a sidelong glance. "Not that it really matters."

Whatever God there was up there was obviously testing Nichole's tolerance for being tortured. She shot a look upwards before giving Robert a look that clearly said she didn't want to be there. The man just shrugged as the group behind him started dispersing, leaving him standing with Rick, the Asian, and an older man. As well as the redneck who had placed himself next to her like he goddamn well belonged there.

Rick stepped up to Daryl and eyed him. "You get thrown out, you're on your own."

The other man just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "That ain't no surprise," he muttered and turned towards the entrance. Nichole watched him stalk out the door, and she took the opportunity to flee as well.

The sun was brighter than she remembered from that morning. But then, it was just a little past midday, so having the light so bright above her was no real surprise. Nichole took off in the direction of the hotel, ignoring anyone else outside and the looks her bloody coat were getting. The thing needed to be washed again, but that could wait until later.

"Hey, wait up!"

That man ran up to walk with her, a crossbow now slung across his shoulders. Nick glanced over at him once and frowned. "Why should I?"

"Sorry about earlier," he said quietly, almost whispering to her.

It was Nichole's turn to roll her eyes. She kept walking, noticing that he matched her strides almost perfectly. "Are you just going to follow me?" No reply, but his actions told her louder than anything. Daryl didn't break stride even when she pushed her way through the hotel's glass door and started taking the stairs two at a time.

Her room was on the third floor, and she opened her unlocked door, leaving it propped so that some air flow could start circulating. Daryl stood at the door's entrance, his eyes following her silently. Nichole found it unnerving as she pulled off her white lab coat, tossing it onto the back of her chair. Not for the first time she was glad that she felt more comfortable in baggy T-shirts than the blouses she had once wore.

"Look, unless you have something to say, I have to get going. Those deer are not going to hunt themselves."

His eyes practically lit up. Nick picked up the recurve bow she had brought from home, putting the unstrung wood into her quiver of arrows before turning to look at the expression on Daryl's face. He was enthralled. That was the only word for it. His mouth was quirked up in an amused smile and his eyes followed her every movement.

"Mind if I tag along?" he asked suddenly. "I'm a pretty decent shot."

Nick shrugged as she grabbed her gear, all shoved into a cloth messenger bag. "I don't care. Just try not to scare all the animals away. I know it's hard, but I have faith you can do it."

Sarcasm aside, Nichole was trying not to insult the man. Not that she felt she need worry about it. Brushing past him and back into the hall, she pulled the door shut and headed back out. The side entrance to the hotel was closer to the east facing door in the wall, so she took that once she reached the first floor. He followed silently, crossbow in hand as he checked his arrows.

"So what are you a doctor of?" he asked suddenly as they walked across the complex towards the steel wall. Nichole resisted the urge to roll her eyes and kept walking.

"Abnormal psychology and forensic pathology," she said quickly, starting to take longer strides in hope that he would fall behind or grow silent.

"Forensic pathology? That's like...cutting open dead people and shit, right?"

Her sigh was ragged. While she had never figured this for a good idea, she was slowly realizing what a disaster it could be. "Yes, cutting open dead people and shit," she quipped a little too quickly. The guard at the wall gave her a nod as he opened the small access panel that was the east entrance. Crouching so she could fit through, Nichole got to the other side of the wall and instantly took off for the trees.


	3. On The Hunt

Daryl could appreciate her need for silence. After almost an hour of tracking through the trees, he grew to respect her abilities. Where she had learned to hunt was a mystery, just like most everything else. He followed, eyes constantly scanning for any sort of movement. Every now and then he would look at her, watch her lift her bow, a beautiful recurve made of a single piece of wood and a finely waxed string, and stalk through the underbrush in near silence.

There was a game trail just to their left that Nichole was obviously following. Daryl kept his eyes and ears open for animals. But he really was watching for any geeks. Somehow he had a suspicion that they were being followed.

Ten minutes later, it could only have been ten minutes, he heard it. That crashing, stumbling movement that meant the undead were near. The girl heard it at the same time and her bow came up, pointing in that direction. Daryl took a second to be impressed before he moved to get a view of whatever was following them. The thing wasn't near close enough for a clean shot. Daryl could have cursed his luck.

Nichole chose that moment to step onto the game trail, her bow up and aimed. The arrow flew suddenly, but Daryl saw too late her aim was off slightly. It grazed the male geek's face, not killing it. The creature lurched forward, grabbing Nick before she could get away.

Daryl's arrow embedded through the side of the thing's head, going clean through to the other side. Nichole made a disgusted noise as she pushed it off of herself, a clear shudder running through her body. Her hands clenched, and she wiped them on her pants, her bow laying forgotten in the dirt.

"God damn it!" the girl nearly shouted, turning her back on the sight of the dead geek at her feet. Daryl walked over to retrieve his arrow, giving her a concerned look as he did so. This couldn't be the first time she had seen one of them die, could it? Nichole bent and grabbed her bow, starting away before Daryl had finished wiping his arrow free of brain goo.

When he caught up, she was muttering under her breath as she walked along the trail. In the still silence of the woods he could hear each word perfectly.

"Damned zombies. Damned arrows. Damned...eww..." Another shudder. "Gross...disgusting...rotten. Corpses..." She trailed off as she noticed his presence behind her. "Uh...thanks."

Daryl shrugged it off, loading another arrow into his crossbow. "Yeah. Now can we get back to hunting?"

It took them another half an hour to find the deer. Daryl gutted it right on the trail, dumping the entrails off in the brush as he prepared the thing for transport. Nichole took the lead, hoisting the solid branch they had strung the deer on across her shoulder. As she walked, Daryl noticed that she avoided the section of trail that had the dead geek on it. Not that he necessarily blamed her in the least. It wasn't something he wanted to see either.

In the dying Georgian sunlight, filtering green through the trees, Daryl allowed his thoughts to wander slightly. He had lost track of how long it had actually been since this whole mess started. How many days it had been since Merle had vanished. How many geeks he had killed since leaving home. It was hard to even contemplate the time that had passed since then. This life now seemed to take over everything, making the days of his childhood feel like a story book.

Now he was here in the company of people he would have never actually met in the old world. A sheriff he would have been more likely to be arrested by than spend any real time with, a little psych major with a night job, and now this doctor who somehow knew how to partake in one of his favored past times. The group would have never fit together in the real world. But now they were put together through no choice of their own.

Daryl let a smile appear on his face as this thought hit him. If they had a choice, he was sure most of the group would have left him behind when he first appeared with Merle. But there was strength in numbers. Everyone knew it. And Daryl worked his ass off trying for these people. Now he was a member of the team.

Nichole shifted her hold on the deer, bringing him back to the present. They were almost at the wall, and two armed men were hurrying out. Nick nodded at them and let one take her end while the other took Daryl's. The woman ground the back of her hand against her eyes as she walked slowly back to the enclosure. Daryl walked next to her, glancing over every once and a while.

"So, what's your story?" he asked as casually as he could. Walking next to the woman, he couldn't help but notice how she was only an inch or so shorter than him. And that she had the tendency to favor her left leg. That slight limp told the story of an old, healed injury. Of course, he knew plenty of old injuries.

"What do you mean?" she asked sharply. Her eyes moved to him, and Daryl resisted the urge to wipe the smear of deer blood on her cheek. "What's my story? What exactly are you asking?"

Daryl let out a groaning sigh, watching the path they were walking. "I mean, what were you before all this happened?"

"I...was a doctor," Nichole stated as if it should have been obvious. "Head doctor, shrink, psychologist, whatever you call it." She made a face. "And criminal autopsies. That wasn't any fun."

"At least you got experience cutting on dead people," Daryl said, trying for a joke. From the look in her eyes, he failed that. "Sorry. Anyway, where'd you learn to hunt?"

He could practically hear the gears spinning in her head as she heaved a sigh. "My uncle brought me hunting whenever he could. Killed my first deer when I was eight. Of course, the recoil of the gun knocked me right out of the tree stand." She let out a soft chuckle as he shouldered open the entrance to the wall. Sliding inside, Nichole waited for him before starting to walk again. "Never thought I would put those skills to good use."

Daryl was shocked that she had waited and was now voluntarily walking with him towards the mall. He could see people gathering there and knew it had to be near meal time. The sun was low in the sky and during the summer that usually meant it was nearing nine in the evening.

"My dad and brother taught me to hunt," he commented. "Been doing it ever since. When this whole thing started, I guess the hunting just translated into something a little different. Hunting for a prize is taken different than hunting for your life." Her relaxed expression disappeared and Daryl realized that his comment could be taking some of the jovial attitude away. "My brother made fun of my choice of weapon, but I like it. Makes me look cool."

Her laugh was worth the gay sounding sentiment. He gave her a quick half smile as they walked into the shade of the mall. Daryl spotted the groups headed towards what he could only guess was the food court judging from the smells coming from that direction.

"Makes you look all...excuse the term, but makes you look redneck," she said as she walked, a smile on her face. "Not that it's a bad thing, necessarily. Especially now. We need all the know how we can get."

Daryl gave another small smile, his lips quirking up on one side. They walked towards where the crowd was gathered near one of the food stands. Now that he saw, a quick head count gave him nearly fifty people in this little space. That didn't count the twenty odd guards outside and the people who still hadn't arrived. All told, Daryl estimated a little under one hundred people lived here.

Trays were gathered, Nichole passing one to Daryl as she took her spot in the line for food. Several people gave her nods, but most of them gave the woman an abnormally wide berth. He picked up a plate, full of foods he had never hoped to partake in again, and followed her back out to the mostly empty atrium where she chose to sit and eat, silence between them.

The hunter had no idea what to think of this. The strange revelation he was coming across. That there was a person giving so much more to this small community in such a vast capacity and given such little regard as far as human interaction astounded him. She was less appreciated than even he was in his small group.

And that fact intrigued him more than anything else he had come across. What had she done to become such a pariah?


	4. Catching Flies

It was starting to occur to Nichole that maybe it was a bad idea to encourage any of these new people to spend any time with her. Especially Daryl. He had the unfortunate tendency to follow her around, and they had only been there for half a day. After returning her tray to the food court, Nick had planned on butchering the deer for tomorrow before heading to bed.

Daryl had followed behind.

He made himself useful but skinning it before putting the large slabs on the butchering table. Nichole watched with fascination. His buck knife moved with more precision than her fillet knife could have, cleanly taking the skin, which would be sent over to the back part of the hospital to be turned into leather. He dropped it into the bag she was holding. Nichole tied it tightly, tossing it into a cart that sat in the corner.

"How many of these have you broken down before?" she asked curiously as she saw him deconstructing the thigh and shoulders, leaving the meat connected to the bones. "You seem to know what you're doing pretty well. Haven't met anyone who was actually helpful doing this."

"I hunt for my group," Daryl said with an uncommitted sort of grunt. "Hunt, clean, but I don't cook."

"How many of those things have you killed?" she asked suddenly, as quickly as she could. Nichole found herself preoccupied by watching his hands, wondering how much blood the man actually had on them. She could count the number of undead she had killed on one hand. Most of the time she just ran and hid until they passed. But sometimes she did not have time to do that. And then she would put an arrow through their skull.

It was disgusting. The sound they made, the sight of congealed blood, everything. Nichole left the arrows in them, unlike what Daryl had done earlier. Seeing him remove the arrow was worse than the rest put together.

Daryl paused, his knife halfway through a tendon keeping the femur attached to the pelvis of the deer. "I lost count," he grunted, shoving the rest of the way through the animal's leg, detaching it from the remainder of the body. Nichole cringed inwardly. She had been expecting something like that answer, but she had not been prepared to hear it.

"Sorry, I was just curious."

"You know that old saying, curiosity killed the cat?" Daryl made quick work of stripping the leg he was working on. It was apparent on his face that he wanted to butcher this deer. Nichole found that the more she tried to move closer to the butchering table, the more space he seemed to take up. "Don't like talking about it, don't ask. Clearly you got some issues with those things, so don't bring it up."

"I'm not a child," Nick said almost automatically. She accustomed to the disregard of those around her, but when he had invaded her sanctum, Nichole refused to take any crap from him. "And my only issues is with people saying shit about me."

His eyes flicked to her, and Nichole took and involuntary step back, her words failing her. "Seems like you got more issues than that," he said, baiting her. "Come on, what mental illness runs in that brain of yours? Gotta be something good, got you studying the subject. What level of fucked up are you?"

"Who says I'm fucked up?" she replied quickly, her tone almost coming out insulted. "You have no idea what I go through!"

"Then tell me, princess! Why the hell did you ask me such a stupid question?"

Nichole took another step back, bumping up against the meat grinder. Her hands landed on the smooth metal surface to keep herself steady. This was not what she had planned by asking that question.

"Sometimes I say stupid things." Her words sounded weak even to her own ears. "I have social anxiety and say things that don't make sense."

"Yeah, let's try again," Daryl said, stabbing his knife deep into the table as he turned to fully face her, bare arms crossed against his chest, leaving bright red blood streaks across the pale gray. "Why the hell did you ask me that question?" It was repeated slower, with purpose.

"I...I don't know," Nick stammered. "You just seem so...used to it."

A look flashed across his eyes, one that Nichole knew all too well. It was defeat, resignation. "Right. And you have all the social graces of a fucking porcupine," he muttered. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Diagnosed Asperger's," Nichole said bluntly. "Autism spectrum disorder. I don't like talking to most people. And I'm not tactful when I do. Tend to be a little...rude." She watched his face change from mild anger to understanding, and then to the one thing she did not want, pity.

"So you _are_ mentally unbalanced."

"Asperger's is manageable." Shifting a bit awkwardly, Nick looked at the floor, watching as the fresh blood followed the grooves of the tile towards the drain. "I do fine for the most part."

He rolled his eyes, going back to the deer. Nick's eyes grew as he pulled the knife from the table in a fluid motion. She would have spent a good ten minutes trying to pry the thing free.

"You've managed to make so many friends here," he stated, separating muscle from bone. "Must be your charming personality."

Nick bit her lip, growing silent. This was one of the big reasons she did not talk to people. Invariably they became insulted by something she said and insulted her in turn. She sighed and leaned heavily against the grinder behind her, eyes refusing to look at Daryl. If he left, she could finish butchering the deer and leave it at that.

Nichole Archer did not need friends. She did not do groups. And she most definitely did not need any sort of companionship. Nick was fine on her own.

Or that was what she constantly told herself. But if anything, Nick was honest with herself. If she wanted to be alone so badly why did she continue to stand there and wait for the silence to be broken? The only sound in the room now was metal scraping on bone and the constant drip of blood from the table. Nothing indicated at either person starting up the conversation again.

The door cracked open and Alex stood there, watching the scene. Nichole glanced up at her brother, knowing who it was the instant the door opened. No one else dared to breach the confines of her space. He gave her a smile and slid into the room.

"Good, you two have met." His tone of voice was hopeful and made Daryl look up from the deer.

"Seems we have," Daryl said on a nod. "You never told me how utterly charming she could be."

If there was an award for the amount of sarcasm that could be injected into one sentence, Nick would nominate Daryl for it. Even Alex winced at that.

"Not going so well then?" His question was directed at her, and she shrugged.

It did occur to her that they must have already met. Daryl did not seem surprised by Alex, and indeed had even replied to him without question. But then it made sense that Daryl had met people before stalking outside the meat room door.

"How would you expect it to go?" Nichole asked with annoyance. "I've finally met someone who can out rude even me."

Alex smiled suddenly. "A lesson you should learn is that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, sister mine."

Daryl made a face and leaned his hip on the table, arms tight across his chest. "I can catch more with a pile of shit, too."

A snort of laughter left Nichole as she turned her head away to avoid looking at the serious expression that must be coloring Daryl's face at the moment. She would have to remember that one, although Nick was not certain where she would use it.

"Kid, you're too upbeat."

"So I'm told. That and I talk too much." Alex did not stop smiling, just gave them both amused looks as he opened the swinging door again. "Night watch is starting, just wanted to let Nick know so she could slip out the back when it came time for her to leave." He gave her a half salute and left, the door going automatically back into place with a small sound.

"So you don't like the guards either?" Daryl asked with a disbelieving snort.

Nichole looked back at him, her temporary smile under control. "It's more of a matter of no one here really liking me. But I'm useful to keep around."

"Why don't you just...Iunno...Leave?"

That single question made her pause, rubbing her left forearm subconsciously with her hand. His question did have an actual answer, although she was reluctant to answer. The obvious reason sat in her mind, and she gave that.

"I can hardly protect myself on my own. Everyone needs sleep at some point."

Daryl nodded, looking suddenly thoughtful as he turned back to the deer. "And no groups coming and leaving could take you?"

"None wanted to."

He made a slight noise, letting her know that he was thinking about something while finishing his work on the legs. The torso would be hung up in the cooler overnight to be used tomorrow. She looked at her hands.

"When you're done, I can show you the showers and then take you over so you can sleep."

"That would be great," he said quietly. Nichole missed the appraising look he gave her, an almost hopeful glint in his eyes.


	5. Clean Ideas

They entered the hotel lobby almost two hours later. Daryl could not help but watch the girl as she tried to hide how exhausted she was. And was currently failing spectacularly as she nearly ran smack into the set of double glass doors. She blinked twice when he inserted himself between her and the offending object, pushing the door open so she could walk through.

Daryl paused as he realized the lobby was not empty. Rick was sitting with Hershel and Glenn in the circle of overly cushy red chairs. When they spotted him, Rick stood and waved for him to join them, his eyes narrowing slightly on Nichole as she stood rooted to the carpet. Daryl gave her a quick shrug and walked over, ignoring the grin on the Asian's face and the raised eyebrow Hershel was giving him.

"What now?" Daryl practically growled at them. He was looking forward to that shower and having a bed to sleep in. Especially one where he had no worries about being eaten during the night.

"We're leaving in two days," Rick said, his tone making it more of an order than anything else. "Keep moving west. I don't like it here."

Judging by Glenn's fidget and Hershel's frown, the other two men did not necessarily agree with Rick. But Daryl wasn't one to argue. He would leave that with the others.

"Whatever. You wanna drag your pregnant wife around with all them undead around, that's your decision. I'm fine either way."

He turned and headed back towards where Nichole was standing, staring at them tiredly. He could hear Glenn hissing something to Rick, probably an affirmation of what he had just said. Daryl gestured with his head for Nick to walk with him towards the hall, and she nodded and smiled, leading the way to the stairs and up to her floor, going to the room he had already seen. She opened the door and let him in, flipping the bolt lock so the door would not close all the way.

"My shower is still functional, so you can use it. Towels are on the rack." Nichole moved through the room, taking things out of her pockets and tossing them onto the table in the corner. Daryl watched her for a moment before retreating into the bathroom, a small smile forming when he saw exactly why she would have chosen this room.

A luxury most did not have was a functional shower. But this room had a whirlpool tub as well. And a sink large enough to bath a small child in. As well as being spotless, which he attributed more to Nichole than anything else. Daryl pulled off his shirt and let it fall to the floor, finally looking in the mirror at the state he was in.

Dirty did not begin to describe it. His skin was matted with an interesting mixture of dirt and blood from his waist to his face. No wonder people reacted the way they did. And he was in desperate need of a shave, but that wouldn't happen. Daryl was starting to like the image he created.

The shower didn't take long to heat up, and he shed his pants and stepped in, immediately scrubbing down. Even under the hot water, he did not miss the sound of the bathroom door opening slowly. Cloth rustled outside, and he waited until the door shut again before peeking around the curtain. His clothes were gone, but sitting on the sink were a folded pair of flannel pajama pants and a clean T-shirt along with what looked to be unscented shampoo.

Daryl could have laughed as his hand snaked out to snag the bottle. The hot water was going a long way to ease the aches in his body, but he still needed all the help he could get to remove the layers of filth associated with roughing it outdoors for months.

When the water started running clean finally, Daryl turned the knob to shut it off. The bathroom was full of steam and he could hear the sound of music coming from the other room. The familiar chords of "Californication" drifted around the small room, and he almost smiled to himself as he grabbed a towel off the rack and started rubbing his skin dry. He pulled on the pajama pants, picking up the shirt but not putting it on before he opened the door.

Nichole was sitting on the floor by the foot of the bed where she obviously slept. The other full size bed was perfectly made and had a variety of weapons strewn across it. She was crossed legged with a book open in her lap. It looked to be a college text of some kind, the pages large and the text small. She had not changed her clothes yet, still in the same blood splattered pants and shirt. Daryl tilted his head slightly at the sight.

It took a moment for her to realize he was standing there. Nick jumped up and dropped the book on her bed. He resisted the urge to smile as her eyes traveled down his body before jumping back up to his face. Wordlessly, she snagged some clothes from her bed and slid past him, practically slamming the bathroom door shut. It didn't take long for him to hear the sound of the shower starting. Daryl shook his head and moved further into the room, his eyes scanning everything before coming to land on the weapons.

This group had obviously raided some sort of sporting goods store. This girl had three different riffles, two handguns, several knives, and one very clean, very sharp machete complete with a cloth scabbard. He picked up one of the riffles, turning it over in his hands, noting that the things was meticulously clean but had been used before.

A book sat on the bedside lamp table. His eyes found that as he looked over the gun, noting the military insignia on the front. It was an Army book on weapons and proper firing technique. Daryl set the gun down and picked up the book, flipping through it quickly, taking note of the pages that were dogeared. Someone had marked the page on deconstructing riffles, the page covering proper firing stance, and the page detailing the best way to adjust a sight.

The song had changed to a modern pop song that offended his sense of hearing slightly. Although the words struck him as ironic. Something about feeling like a zombie going back to life. He missed when the shower turned off, still flipping through the book as the bathroom door opened.

When he looked up, he realized that his previous smugness at Nichole looking him over was a bit premature. She was wearing a loose fitting shirt, her long hair tumbling down over her back and shoulders, easily hanging as long as Lori's, if not longer, and just as wavy. Her black stretch pants ended at the knees, leaving her calves bare, as well as her feet. It was a look that on most people would have made them appear childish. On her, she just looked like an amazing yoga instructor. And Daryl was forced to snap himself out of his momentary daze so he could toss the book back on the table.

"So where is this bed you offered?" he asked gruffly, trying to not make a big deal of his momentary lapse.

Nichole looked to the side for a moment before moving to the other side of the weapon bed. "Your group is probably being put on the top floor. That's where most of the free rooms are located. But there are plenty of rooms with double beds that aren't being used."

She leaned over and started picking up the weapons, leaning them in the corner. The hand guns she held for a moment before moving so she could put them in a drawer along with the knives. He watched until the bed was cleared and Nichole gave him a look, waiting for him to say something.

"What about this room?" Daryl's attempt at casual just sounded forced. Her eyes curved up a bit as her face muscles twitched. He couldn't tell if she was trying not to smile or wince.

"You can take the free bed. But you better not snore."

Daryl nodded as she crossed the room to turn off the music player. The overhead light was next, and he crawled under the blankets, smiling at the feeling of clean sheets and soft bedding. When she was in her own bed, her arm reached out and flicked the lamp off, plunging them into darkness. Daryl waited for his eyes to adjust to the faint light streaming in from the moon, the shapes and shadows in the room slowly coming into focus.

It took him a little while to fall asleep. The events of the day kept replaying in his head, from arriving, to meeting this girl, to their hunt, and everything in between. He threw the heavy top blanket off, feeling a little trapped, and shoved one of the pillows to the floor, curling his arms tightly around the one that remained so he could lay on his stomach with his face in the direction of the girl.

Rick had made it clear that they would just be passing through. And Nichole wanted to leave, that much was obvious. A plan started forming in Daryl's mind of how to get this woman to join his group and how to get them to accept her. His sleepy mind marveled over the change one day could make on him and his view of the world.


	6. Making The Decision

The sun hit Nichole's face before the majority of the room. She woke up suddenly, sitting up quickly as she realized there was someone sleeping in the other bed. Her memory of the night before was foggy due to lack of sleep, one of the reasons she fell so hard last night. The thatch of light brown hair and a bare arm wrapped tightly around the pillow told her who it was who had shared her room, and Nichole groaned slightly as she rolled out of the bed, both feet hitting the floor as the blanket fell away.

She made quick work of finding a shirt and pants to wear for the day, getting dressed in the bathroom before Daryl even stirred. She chose her form fitting jeans along with a black skull and crossbones pirate shirt she had snagged from the mall a few days ago. Slipping on her penguin slippers, she left the room, letting the door swing quietly shut as she hurried downstairs and to the laundry room.

The one thing she had made sure to do last night was to drop Daryl's dirt encrusted clothes down to the girls who ran the laundry facility. Sure enough, there they were, sitting on a table neatly folded and cleaned. Nick smiled as she picked them up, making sure that she grabbed some extra towels as well before making her way back up to her room.

Daryl was still asleep when she slid back in, kicking her slippers off and putting the clothes down on the dresser. She smiled to herself as she retrieved the phone she used as a music player and plugged her headphones in, turning it on shuffle. After raiding the mall for every CD it held, Nichole had found the device with the most memory that could play music and was portable, finally settling on the android phone for the purposes. With the help of a computer, she filled the thing with every song she could stand listening to.

Pushing play, she went to work brushing through her hair and standing in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to tame the thick strands that wanted to curl and wave down to her elbows. Nichole finally got the brush to go through without snagging and set it aside, fingering through her hair to push it out of her face. Movement in the mirror caught her eye and Nick looked up, seeing Daryl fully dressed and leaning against the door frame of the bathroom.

His lips were moving and Nick quickly ripped the earbuds out so she could hear what he was saying.

"-figured there's breakfast somewhere," he finished, the only part of the sentence she actually heard.

"Down in the food court," she said automatically. Seeing his amused expression, Nichole paused and turned to face him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was asking if I could stay with you today after we get some food because I figured there's breakfast somewhere," Daryl repeated carefully. His eyes glinted with mirth as she shifted and eyed him. He was taking up the entirety of the door, and the only escape from this room.

"Oh. Yeah. Whatever." She took a step forward, and he stepped aside so she could go out into the room. Retrieving a pair of socks from her drawer, she pulled them on before pulling on her boots. Her choice of one pink and one blue sock got a raised eyebrow from Daryl but she ignored it.

Nichole did see the plain shock in his eyes when she strapped one of her hunting knives to her leg over her jeans. Her room key, headphones, and another, smaller folded knife got shoved into her pockets. With a final nod, Nichole turned from the room and faced Daryl, who was picking up the cross bow he had left here yesterday and putting it over his shoulder.

The silence this time was less awkward or angry, and more companionable. She couldn't help but watch Daryl as he walked slightly in front of her, his gait making it clear he was used to being the baddest thing for miles. Nick did not understand why he was not the leader of his group, but then, most would not understand why she was an outlier in her own. He was a loner for the most part, and it made sense that he went along with them but did not have any leadership roles. Daryl seemed more the type to do things on his own without really seeking permission.

The psychologist in her wanted to analyze him, study him. But another part of her wanted to leave that bit behind, just enjoy the company of someone who did not seem to mind her personality quirks. It did occur to her that the reasonable mind would allow some time to grow annoyed and frustrated with her quietness and tactlessness, but for the most part, Daryl seemed much the same. Whether it was on purpose or not had yet to be seen.

Sunlight was flooding the area when they walked from the hotel. Nichole blinked a few times, moving her hand to shield her eyes from the glare so she could actually see a little. What she did immediately notice was the looks people were giving her. As if she had sprouted another head. Moving unconsciously closer to Daryl, Nick avoided making eye contact. A whisp of hair blew into her face and she moved to brush it into her hat when the reason for the stares hit her.

She had forgotten to put her hair up.

No one had ever seen her without the severe braid that had become the most comfortable way to wear her hair out of her face and off her neck. Now it was flowing down her back, the lazy waves surely catching the light and revealing the highlights. Searching her pockets in hopes of finding a hair tie, although she already knew how fruitless that endeavor would be, Nick moved her hair behind her ears to get it off her face.

Daryl glanced over at her from the corner of his eye. When she shifted uncomfortably next to him, he looked around, searching for the cause of her distress. Nichole could practically see when the realization dawned on him what was wrong. His eyes narrowed on people as they passed, the pure venom behind that stare causing several people to skitter away. Even the guards redirected their eyes to look elsewhere as they passed.

"You wait here," he said, pointing to the bench in an alcove in the atrium. "I'll go get breakfast."

Nichole nodded and took her seat, pulling her legs up so she could lean against the corner of the bench and watch people. Not many looked at her now that she was mostly hidden. Watching as some of the children played, Nick knew it was past time for her to leave this place. She did not belong, and that was becoming more apparent with each day that passed.

A plate was set down in her lap as Daryl sat on the other side of the bench, picking up his fork from the tray he had brought back with him. The dug into the powdered eggs and venison bacon, ignoring everyone else that passed by. He did reach over and tap her fork closer so that Nick could pick it up, and only looked away once she did.

"Random and probably stupid question," he said between bites. "We're leaving in a day, and I know you want to leave. What about coming with us?"

"Would Rick allow that?" Nichole asked, poking at the eggs on her plate halfheartedly.

"I don't see as it's his choice," Daryl replied almost instantly. He turned so he could face her fully. "You'd be useful enough, and he can't argue that. Hell, be a sight more useful than that old man and his daughters."

Picking at her food, Nick avoided eye contact for a moment as she thought. This was exactly what she was looking for, a way out. But one problem kept coming to the front of her mind.

"My brother, I can't just leave him here."

"Bring him along. We can always use another strong guy." Daryl made a face as he set his mostly empty plate down. "Rick had to kill our last useful guy, and as good as Glenn is, the kid has a few too many issues."

It was a sound plan. Leave the fortress behind in relative safety, bring the only other person she really cared about along, and travel with people who could possibly accept her. But it seemed too easy to her.

"I can't just...leave." She set her plate down, the food barely touched. "It's not that simple. Wish it was. Your group, they already have bonds in place. I'm an outsider. They won't accept me as easily as that."

Daryl let out a deep rumbling sigh. "Fine. Stay here then. Makes no difference anyway." She heard the disappointment in his voice. "Not like _I_ was hoping for anything."

"_You_ want me to go?" she asked incredulously. Inside she knew that the real reason he was mentioning this to begin with was because he wanted her to join him. The reason he agreed to bring her brother along as well. "You completely flipped from calling me a stupid bitch yesterday to wanting another person to tag along with your group."

"Yeah, well, sometimes I say shit that's pure stupid." Daryl made a sound halfway between a groan and a laugh. "Doesn't mean I don't like someone."

"So you like me?"

The last question was a bit of an immature moment. Nichole wanted him to rise to her bait, but was both disappointed and thrilled when he didn't.

"Yeah, guess I do."

That made the decision that much easier for her. Nick would tell Alex and start gathering what she needed to leave. She picked up her plate and started eating again.

"Okay. I'll go. But first, you tell me something more about yourself. I don't get into cars with strangers and definitely don't face walker hordes with people I can't trust."

Daryl's smile was nearly instantaneous. "Deal. So...where should I start?"


	7. History Lesson

He told her about learning to hunt. About Merle and his police record. About where he was at the beginning of the outbreak. Daryl left nothing out, even describing when he was told that Merle had been left up on a roof, handcuffed to a pipe. How he, Rick, Glenn, and T-dog went back only to find his hand gone.

There were more hard parts to tell than good times. Nichole proved to be a rapt audience, listening to everything he said. Daryl had never felt as if he was the most important person to someone like that, but her eyes never left his face as she sat cross legged on the bench, elbows on her knees as she switched between propping her head on her hands and letting them hang off her knees.

They did not stop talking until someone came up to Nichole and tapped her shoulder. She turned her head and the man whispered in her ear quickly. When her eyes went wide, Daryl became curious as to what was being said.

"I'll go get my things. We'll head out immediately."

The man nodded and walked off. The girl unfolded herself from the bench and Daryl stood as well, watching her. Nick did not say anything before she ran off, straight out the door and towards the hotel. Daryl followed at the same pace, staying slightly behind her, watching as the sunlight glinted off her hair.

She took the stairs two at a time, faster than he would have given her credit for. After a moment of waiting, she was coming back down, skipping steps, her quiver over her shoulders and her bow in hand. When Nichole hit the third to last step, her foot missed and she slid past the bottom stairs, landing on the floor in a slight crouch before she stood again and headed with purpose towards the door.

"It would probably be better if you stayed here," she said as she passed Daryl.

"Why?"

Nichole paused and turned to look at him. "One of our hunters did not come back this morning. She was headed with the group to the lake and got separated. The fewer in the woods looking, the better, and we already have a system set up."

Daryl nodded. "Got ya. Guess I'm staying."

She turned, giving him one last look before disappearing out the door. Daryl let out a sigh before he walked slowly back to the mall, keeping his eyes peeled for either her brother or Rick. Daryl hoisted his crossbow up a bit, his face set until he pushed the door open to the mall. People gave him strange looks as he stalked through, but he ignored it.

Rick was sitting in the atrium with Lori while Carl was playing with some of the kids his own age. Daryl did not hesitate to walk over and stop in front of Rick, staring down at the self proclaimed leader while Lori excused herself and moved closer to where Carl was.

"What is it, Daryl?"

"I got news," Daryl said as he stood with his arms crossed. "We got two more people joining us."

"No, we don't." Rick's expression hardened as he heard what Daryl said. "We don't have the supplies or transportation for two more."

Daryl narrowed his eyes and let his hands form into fists. "The hell we don't. We need more hunters than just me. I can't feed all you and not be geek bait."

The sheriff shook his head. "No. No more people. We can't protect everyone."

"You can't even protect your own family," Daryl said. "You really think you're doing us any favors by trying to protect us?"

The other man blinked as if unsure he had actually heard Daryl right. "My family's the only one that stayed whole through this mess."

"Yeah, and killing Shane was part of your master plan."

Rick finally stood so he would be at eye level with Daryl. "We'll talk about this later. But I'm telling you that your new friends are _not_ joining us."

"It ain't exactly your decision, now is it?" Daryl asked, his voice lowering dangerously. "It's my call if I claim responsibility for another person. Or two people. And you'll thank me when your kid don't starve."

The hunter turned on his heel, leaving Rick standing there staring at him. Daryl went straight to the food court, where lunch was being served. He figured if Alex was anywhere, he would be picking up food. After picking up a tray, he moved through the tables, right to where Nichole's brother was sitting and wolfing down his food at top speeds.

"You don't slow down, you're gonna choke yourself."

Alex looked up at Daryl and smiled, swallowing quickly and gesturing for Daryl to join him. "Hey. Where's Nick?"

"Out looking for a lost person," he replied as he sat, sliding his tray across the table to an empty chair. "Wanted to tell you that I'm inviting you and your sister to come with me when I leave."

The kid openly stared at Daryl as his smile seemed to grow. "You mean...leave? Get out of this prison?"

"Prison?" That word made Daryl pause as he eyed Alex. "What you mean, prison?"

"No one leaves. Ever." Alex shrugged, digging his fork into his plate of food. "Robert says it isn't safe, no where is safe, so we shouldn't leave. No one goes without a group."

"So you wanna come or what?"

The kid nodded, picking up his fork. "Just got to pack, I guess."

They finished lunch, having a amicable discussion about the best ways to survive out there. After only a half hour of sitting there, Alex's eyes moved behind him and he frowned. Daryl turned and saw several people walking into the food court, blood splattered on some of them, most looking dejected.

"Uh oh," the kid said, pushing his tray aside. "That don't look good."

Daryl was forced to agree as he stood, leaving his tray there. Nichole had just walked in, almost catatonic, her eyes downcast. He had seen that look several times before. Andria looked like that after Amy. Carol walked around like that after her husband and Sophia. And Lori had the same look after Shane died.

"You didn't find her, did you?"

Nichole looked up at Daryl, her eyes focusing on him after a moment. "No. We found her. Or what was left." She turned her attention back to the floor, her skin slowly turning green.

Grabbing her arm, Daryl hauled her out of the food court and towards the back doors. He kicked the door open just in time to get her to the dirt as her breakfast came back up. How long she had held that in Daryl did not want to know, but it was impressive that she made it so far before getting sick.

"She get eaten?"

Not exactly the most subtle thing to ask, Daryl was surprised when she just wiped at her mouth and nodded. Nichole straightened and turned to look at him.

"Those Walkers were still there, too. Three of them. They had her insides ripped out. She was still alive when we got there, screaming the entire time." A shudder ran through her body and he could see the goosebumps rising on her arms. "I need a shower."

"I would have to agree," Daryl said, turning her and giving her a light push towards the hotel. They walked together, him making sure she did not fall back down the stairs as they moved to her room.

Daryl found himself directing her into her bathroom and even going so far as to turn on the shower when she just sat down hard on the toilet. He turned and bent over to look her in the eye.

"You gonna be okay in here on your own? I don't think you can drown in a shower, but you never know." He waited until she nodded absently, looking up at him. "I'll go get you food, and I'll be right back. Don't think you should leave right now, though."

She took a deep breath and nodded again. Daryl watched her for another moment before he straightened again, leaving the bathroom and going to fetch a tray for the girl who was clearly in some sort of shock.


	8. Hot Water

**A/N:** This is where the M rating comes in. Smut ahead!

Nichole's mind was full of confusion, repulsion, and shame. She stood under the spray, her hair hanging over her face as she was frozen in place, seeing the face of the girl she had been forced to shoot while she was still alive. There had been no choice, that girl was just suffering as her insides were being held in hands of three undead. The blood had dripped from the pale faces, pieces of flesh and intestine hanging from their teeth.

Another wave of nausea hit her and she doubled over, clutching her stomach because it was already empty. A knock on the door broke her from her thoughts and she glanced at the shower curtain, refusing to look around it.

After a moment, the door opened and she heard Daryl's boots on the tile floor. "Hey, you okay in there? It's been half an hour."

She could only let out a slight whimper, straightening and leaning heavily against the wall. Nichole did not hear Daryl moving on the other side of the curtain, and she did not hear him come closer to the shower. Not until the curtain opened and he slid in, only in his boxers, did she realize what was happening.

"We'll talk about this after you're dry, but for now, you need to stop thinking." Daryl moved closer even as Nick wrapped an arm around her chest. "And there's one good way I know to get you to stop doing that."

He put a hand on her arm, asking permission to come closer. Nichole looked up at him, her eyes worried.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

Despite her words, Nick was intrigued by his idea. She let her arm drop slowly, noting that his gaze never left her own. Daryl brushed the hair from her face, leaning down close to her neck. She felt his tongue run up to her ear, lips latching just under her jaw. A shiver ran down her spine as his hands ran down her body, gripping her hips and pulling her against him.

Nichole felt an electric tingle run from the back of her neck to her stomach. Her whimper this time was completely different. She felt Daryl's lips twitch against her throat as he nipped lightly. She was so focused on what his lips were doing that when his hands dipped between her thighs, Nichole stiffened slightly, pulling back for a moment.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked in her ear. Words escaped her, she was never really good at talking anyway. All Nichole could do was shake her head and lean a little closer. "Good," was his growled response.

Nichole's brain warred for dominance over her instinctual need. She knew this was a bad idea. Getting attached to anyone was a bad idea. And there were so many reasons she could not do this. But when his fingers slid in to rub against her, Nick's knees buckled. Daryl pinned her to the wall with one arm against her hips, keeping her upright.

Her brain functions slowly started shutting down as he slowly lowered himself to one knee. Nick stared at him for a moment, unsure of what exactly he was doing. Placing his forearm against her stomach, he lifted her knee so her foot was resting on his thigh. When he kissed the inside of her leg, she inhaled shakily and let her head rest against the wall as the water splashed down on them.

He slowly moved his mouth upward, and she realized what was about to happen a moment before it did. His tongue flicked out, licking against her folds and breaking through, rubbing where his fingers had been before. Nichole let out a gasp as his lips locked against her.

Every sensation started becoming too much. The movement of his tongue against her, the water hitting her chest and legs, his hand massaging her hip, one hand separating her folds. His fingers explored, finding her entrance and she bucked her hips forward slightly. Daryl pushed his arm harder against her to keep her in place.

A long digit inserted itself in her and Nichole put both hands on his shoulders to keep herself upright. "D-Daryl," she said, trying to say more but her brain would not cooperate. It had been years since anyone touched her at all, and it had never been like this. He was creating so many more sensations in her body than she knew existed. Between his lips and tongue working magic on her clit and his finger, make that _fingers_, worked in and out of her.

He shifted slightly, his hand taking a new angle, and Nichole was too far gone to really think about what was happening. He hit a magical place inside of her and she pressed upward, pushing her back against the wall of the shower as she bucked her hips against his hands. Daryl pulled his face back and smiled up at her, never ceasing the movement of his hands.

The coil started knotting in her stomach faster, a warming tingle traveling from her stomach to her toes. She could not help doubling over as she felt the orgasm hit, her entire body spasming in time with the muscles around his fingers.

Nichole came down slowly, leaning against Daryl, who had stood and wrapped his arms around her to keep her on her feet. He ran his hands against her body, and she realized that his bare hips were pressed against her, boxers discarded somewhere. Hands dug into her hips and lifted her up slightly. Nick had no choice but to wrap her legs around his waist as he pressed her up against the wall, hands moving down to hold her thighs in place.

She felt his cock pressing at her until it slid down and found her entrance. He pushed forward slowly, a slight hiss releasing between his teeth as he did. Nichole wrapped both arms around his neck, letting her cheek resting against his shoulder. She felt him bite against her own shoulder as he was seated fully inside her.

After that, it was all primal and animalistic. There was no gentle thrusting or soft words. Daryl pulled back and slammed home hard. He repeated the action, teeth latched on her skin as he drove into her. Nichole locked her fingernails into his back, holding on for sanity and stability. Small, whimpering moans left her lips as she felt him hit that spot inside again, leaving her breathless.

It was quick. Nichole could not last long, and neither could Daryl. No sooner had she started clenching than he released inside her, sending warm jets into her body. They came back down together, still wrapped around one another.

Daryl let her legs down, and Nichole swayed slightly, clinging to his arms to keep from collapsing. He smiled down at her, his hand coming around her neck to cup her head into him.

"Like I said, we'll talk once we're dry." His voice was huskier than normal and Nichole could only nod agreement, letting him finish cleaning her.


	9. Coming To Terms

After toweling her dry and wrapping a bedsheet around her still naked body, Daryl wrapped a towel around his own waist, sitting on the edge of her bed where she was leaning up against the headboard. Her face was relaxed as she watched him, and that comforted him slightly.

"Do you want to tell me what happened out there?" Daryl asked quietly, keeping his eyes on her face for any signs of distress or panic.

She was silent for a moment longer than he was comfortable with. Then she nodded and looked at her hands.

"I had to shoot her. She was still alive, still being eaten, and I had to kill her. I shot her in the head."

That cleared everything up for Daryl. He suddenly understood what was sitting in her mind. A vision of Dale laying on the ground with his stomach torn open assailed his eyes. Had he been more comfortable with anyone in the group, he would have allowed himself to feel a little worse than he did about the entire episode. Being female, and knowing that she had trouble even killing the geeks, this had to be destroying her.

"You did what you had to," he said, scooting closer. He saw her hand clutch the sheet closer, and Daryl shook his head. He did not want to resort to his usual attitudes of fuck the world here. Even Daryl Dixon knew how to treat a woman. Everyone might accuse him of being a damaged redneck who did not give two shits about anyone else, but that was just unfair.

"Look, if you hadn't done it, she would have suffered even longer and then come back as one of those things." She gave him a look that clearly said that was not helping at all. Daryl changed tactic almost immediately. "If you didn't, someone else would have. And they might not have been so kind as to deliver the kill blow like that."

Nichole started shivering and curled in on herself further, pulling her legs up. Not even hesitating, Daryl pulled her so she was laying with her still wet head on his chest. His arm was wrapped so his elbow was by her back, hand stroking her hair, other arm across both of their bodies and around her waist. This was the very moment that Daryl had no more words. He just held her as she shivered violently.

The sun was still out, not shining into the room, but lighting everything up as it reflected off the steel of the wall to the east. Daryl watched the shadows of what he could see outside lengthen. The shivering stopped first, and he heard her breathing slow. She was falling asleep, and he did not move. Daryl was not one to sit still for very long, but he also had never had a real reason to want to.

But as the time ticked by, Daryl had quite a bit of things to think. From the moment he had seen this girl doing a job that most women would not even agree to even if there was no other choice he knew they would get along. He never figured they would have so much in common. The silence was not awkward, they were both capable of doing things that needed to be done, and for him at least there was an ideal physical attraction.

Now, seeing her become so broken down over doing something, but still doing it, this was a person who needed to be protected. And staying here was no longer an option. These people did not give her the emotional or physical security she would need to survive through this. They seemed to respect her as a person, and rightfully so, but most regarded her as more of an outsider. He was curious as to why, but now was not the time to explore those reasons. Now was the time to get her through this and out of the place, alongside her brother and possibly without the rest of his group if it came down to it. Daryl had no fear of leaving Rick if he needed to.

A small group was easier to protect in the wilds outside this compound. And he did not want to be stuck with pregnant Lori, having to protect her alongside her son, who had the tendency to run off at the most inopportune times. And then there were Hershel's daughters, one who had been suicidal not too long ago, the other who he was not fully certain about. The old man was useful, if only because he had medical training. But then so did Nichole, only more so.

It would all come down to what Rick said in the morning when they were getting ready to leave. Daryl knew Nichole would bring along things that would come in handy, including supplies they did not previously have. She was an asset he could not pass up. Rick was another story entirely. The man was power hungry, needed to be in charge. Daryl would not fight him, but also did not entirely follow him.

Her hand clenched where it rested against his stomach, and he felt her twitch. Her face burrowed into him, seeking warmth, comfort. She was having a nightmare, Daryl recognize the signs. This was a tough moment. Part of him wanted to wake her, hold her longer, keep her safe from her own mind. But another part knew that she would have to face it until she forced herself away from it all again. The sun was almost gone now, the room mostly in shadow, so he could not see the moment her eyes opened. But he felt her still and knew the moment she was awake.

"You know her face will never leave, don't let it," he whispered to her.

"I always thought that if the world ended, I would die quickly." Her voice was nearly indiscernible as she spoke into his chest. "I was never very physical, and I had trouble with the idea of being isolated. But now...What kind of person have I become that I can kill someone?"

He shifted, pulling her up so her head was on his shoulder now as he moved down into a more comfortable position. "You're who you need to be. I had to change, I'm sure my brother changed, and you changed. You have to become someone who can survive."

She grew silent, and Daryl absentmindedly stroked her hair, running his fingers all the way through the long locks. He had to let her come to her own decision on the matters that were running through her mind, and that required giving her time and quiet. Which was fine for him. Daryl knew he came off as a bit rough most of the time. Although his actions should have proved that he felt for people, no one seemed to see it. And now he could prove it to all of them.

The night passed slowly. Daryl slept in snatches, his arms wrapped firmly around her as she dozed for a few hours. He could not help but notice how perfectly she seemed to fit against him here. And how comfortable it was having her there. She was not the sharp angles of most of the other women, not the half starved frame they carried. Nichole was a bit softer, curvier. Perfect.

He was awake when the sun started rising again. Although he had not slept much, Daryl felt more rested than any of those nights spent out in his tent. His mind was at peace for the most part. Daryl knew what he needed to do once he left this room.

But he would wait for her to awaken properly. That would be a few hours. Daryl pressed his head into his pillow, keeping his arms wrapped around her as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind for the first time that night. He wanted to get a little more sleep before facing his imminent future. And with her tucked in next to him, Daryl was warm and truly happy to just stay there.

It was not until a knock sounded on the door after what seemed only minutes of being asleep, but the sun shining through the window told him it had been much longer, that Daryl woke up with a start. He slid out of the bed, searching out his pants quickly before walking over to the door, cracking it open only slightly.

Glenn stood there looking extremely nervous. No sooner had Daryl opened the door than the Asian pushed his way in, shutting it firmly again and ignoring anything else in the room, including the girl still sprawled on the bed.

"Daryl, we have a problem."

"Sure as hell better be a huge problem, Chinaman. I ain't kidding, either."

"It is." The kid shifted, taking his hat off so he could run a hand through his hair. "They told Rick this morning that he couldn't leave."

The curse that left Daryl's mouth was loud enough to rouse Nichole. He took a deep breath and turned back to the room. "Let me get dressed. If we're gonna do something stupid, I would rather be wearing clothes."

Glenn nodded and leaned against the door, out of sight of most of the room, while Daryl went to break the news to Nichole.


	10. Show Of Force

"There's more to it than just that," Glenn said, sitting on the chair backwards, his arms crossed over the back as he looked from Nichole, who sat cross legged on her bed, fully dressed in her black yoga pants and a black tank top, and Daryl, leaning against the desk with his bare arms crossed over his plaid covered chest. "They said there's been an increase in Walker activity recently-"

Nichole shook her head, knowing already what he was going to say. "No, there hasn't," she interrupted. "This is what they say every time. Whenever a group that has useful members come through, they do this same crap to try to keep them here. Most don't fall for it and leave anyway. They sneak out."

"Tell you what, I ain't much for sneaking about," Daryl commented, his expression murderous. Compared to the gentle person she had seen last night, Nichole saw a huge difference in him. "Either they let us leave with the help that was promised or we make them."

"They have military weaponry," Glenn said quickly. "How do you expect to beat that?"

Daryl pushed away from the desk so he was standing fully upright. "Yeah, and they have women, children, old people. You really think they're going to put _them_ in danger for a handful of expendables?"

"Rick won't fight."

"He'll have to!" Daryl's voice rose slightly as he glared at the Asian. "Either that or he might as well admit he is no longer the leader of this little group."

That quieted everyone for a moment. Nichole tugged a little on the bottom of her pant leg, staring at her socks. One was zebra print while the other was plaid. They had received a question from Glenn earlier, but Nichole had brushed it off. Right now they had bigger problems.

"What if we stole a few of the guns?" she suggested quietly. "Get the girls and that boy in a car and ready to go, and supply everyone else with a nice semi automatic rifle?"

When she looked up again, both Daryl and Glenn were staring at her. Glenn started smiling. "That might actually work. If we made a show of force, some sort of stand. They can't keep us here. They can deny us supplies, but we've survived on less."

"They can't deny _me_ supplies," Nichole said as she slowly stood up from the bed. She returned Glenn's smile and glanced over at Daryl. "They owe me more than they ever want to admit. Between hunting, doctoring, and everything else I do, I haven't gotten half of the stuff I should have."

"Then it's settled." Daryl's arms uncrossed and he nodded at Glenn. "You need to find Rick and tell him the little plan we cooked up."

Nick waited until the younger man left to open the single closet in the room. She pulled out a bigger duffel bag and tossed it on the bed. "Bottom drawer," she said to Daryl. "Start loading everything."

Daryl opened the drawer and Nichole could have laughed at his reaction. "How many rounds are _here_?" he asked incredulously. Boxes upon boxes were lined in the drawer, one hundred forty four to be precise, all full of ammunition for her guns. She rubbed the back of her forearm almost self consciously.

"Enough." Her single word answer made him shrug as he started filling the bag with the ammo. "To be honest, I've never actually shot any of those guns. I've cleaned them, prepared them to be used, but never used one."

"You were hording ammo like this and never actually fired a gun?"

Although his tone was one of amusement, Nichole winced slightly as she went over to retrieve her weapons. "I hunt with a bow. Guns are noisy and attract a lot of unwanted attention." She set the guns carefully on the bed while strapping her hunting knife to her thigh and putting the quiver on her back. "I'm sure they have their place and time, but I don't need one yet."

He grunted, not really giving her a response, and Nick let out a breath and went to grab her backpack, opening the dresser where she kept her clothes. Everything was carefully rolled up to take up as little space as possible until she had as much shoved into the bag as possible. The front pocket got the small laptop she kept shoved in along with the power cord. Along with that came some personal things, such as her college degrees (folded up and well creased), her wallet with her ID, and her phone/music player.

Once her room was stripped of everything useful, Nick put the backpack on, clipping it in the front. Daryl picked up the duffel and led the way out the door and down the stairs. She was not surprised that he paused to check for people before making a straight beeline towards the cars parked near the wall. The duffel got thrown into the back of a truck, her backpack strapped onto his bike. Nick shifted from one foot to the other, watching the main buildings.

"I have to go find Alex," she whispered to Daryl, taking a step towards the mall. Nichole knew what an important aspect her brother would be to the success of this plan. He knew where the guns were stored, as well as how to get into the room. She felt Daryl hesitate behind her before he started following, moving quickly so he was alongside her.

"This is gonna get messy," he said in a low voice to her as they crossed the expanse of parking lot. "You sure you want to help?"

Nick looked over at him, feet still moving towards where she figured her brother would be. "This isn't just getting you out. This is my_ life_. The life of my brother. I'm not backing out now."

Daryl nodded and walked next to her, his eyes traveling from her to the two guards standing post just inside the doors. Although Nichole ignored them as she usually did, a part of her could not help but feel as if they were watching her every move. Which was stupid. No one but herself, Daryl, and Glenn knew of the plan they had made, and even if they did, they would not have enough time to make a counter plan.

After taking the stairs to the second floor where Alex tended to be, Nichole glanced down to the open atrium below. The Asian from earlier was talking quickly to Rick, who kept nodding. That was a good sign. At least he seemed to be agreeing with his part in all this. They kept moving, out of sight of the atrium and towards the sporting goods store.

As she expected, her brother was there sorting through back stock. Even with everyone pitching in, they still had a plethora of boxes that remained unopened. Alex was holding what looked to be a hooked ax in one hand, using the back hook side to slice through boxes. He pulled out a bagged tent and smiled, setting it aside.

"Alex," Nick said, hurrying over. "Go pack your stuff. We're leaving."

Her brother looked up at her and frowned. "Wait, what? I thought Robert said there was too much activity to leave."

Shaking her head, Nichole held up both hands. "He's lying. He always does. Be quiet and quick about it, but go get what you need. Put your stuff with their vehicles and meet us back here."

Without question, which for once Nichole was grateful for, her brother took off, sliding in between shelves and out to the main hall. Nick turned back to Daryl, who was picking up the tent and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Lost my old one," he explained. "And I'll be needing one once we leave."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but just barely. "We're trying to escape with our lives and you think 'ooo, tent'?"

"Yeah, and you'll thank me later."

His cocksure attitude did make her smile as she headed back towards the front door. When he stopped to grab arrows for his crossbow, she was less surprised. Standing there watching him, Nichole did not see the guards coming in. Daryl's crossbow came up suddenly, pointing in her direction, and she froze as she felt the barrel of a rifle press at her back.

"Boss needs to see you," the male voice said as another guard moved around her, rifle trained on Daryl as he reached out and grabbed at the crossbow. Nichole winced as Daryl pulled the trigger, sending the arrow into the man's stomach. Gunfire went off next to her and she opened her eyes to see Daryl on the ground.

"No!" Nichole screamed even as arms wrapped around her stomach to pull her along. She fought, screaming the entire way, clawing at the arm to let her go. The sudden slam of a rifle butt to the back of her head silenced the screaming and blackened her world.


	11. Shoot Them In The Head

Daryl continued laying there until he was sure everyone was gone. The guards did not even check him to see if he was dead. They were idiots.

He was lucky that when he ducked to avoid the bullet spray headed in his direction, he had landed in the puddle of blood from the guard he had shot. The wound in his side was clean through, and did not bleed much. The others assumed it was a fatal shot and left him to die. Which of course made this entire plan that much harder.

"Son of a bitch!" he said loudly as he started moving again.

Pushing himself up, Daryl grabbed his crossbow from the floor and reloaded it, putting it on his back. One of the guards, probably the one with an arrow in him, dropped his gun and Daryl picked that up as well, quickly checking the clip. If he wanted out of here alive, he would need all the help he could get.

One question ran around in his mind as he hid himself in the back of the store so he could wrap some bandages around himself. Why had four armed men come to take one girl to their leader? What the hell did she do to deserve that sort of treatment. Daryl wanted nothing more than to find this guy and put a bullet in his head. Not since he had lost his brother had he become so attached to a person, and he had kept his emotions to himself after the girl was killed.

He partially wanted to just leave, take his bike in the night and leave them all behind. Daryl could protect himself, he could fend for himself better than anyone else. But that pain of losing someone went too deep, and he cursed silently that he would have to find her again, take her with him.

Besides, those fuckers had shot him. Daryl was _not_ allowing that to stand. He was sick of being used as target practice. As if he did not have enough scars to begin with.

There was nothing more to do than wait. His wound needed to knit before he could really do anything, and he wanted to see if anyone came by. If Alex came back, he could enlist the kid's help. If Rick or Glenn went out to find him, he needed to stay where the gunshots had occurred. Either way, Daryl was not going very far right away.

Sure enough, not half an hour later a figure slid into the sporting goods store and paused in the entrance, rifle in hand. Daryl recognized that hat almost immediately and stood slowly, feeling pain radiate from his side as he did.

"Daryl," came the whispered call. Glenn hurried over, his rifle pointing around the room. He stopped and pointed his gun at the door as he stood next to Daryl. "Did you get shot?"

"What the hell does it look like, Chinaman? I sure as fuck didn't do this to myself!"

The Asian only nodded and knelt down, checking his ammunition. "Yeah, I figured. We got trouble down below. They took Carl and Lori, Beth and Maggie are hiding in the grocer's, and the rest are guarding the cars."

"What happened?" Daryl demanded.

"The guards turned on us. The rest of the compound went under lock down. They went too willingly if you ask me." Glenn lifted his gun again and stood. "Like they've done this before. They took your doctor friend to the hospital. I watched them."

"Then that's where we head." Daryl lifted the gun in his arms, looking down the sight as he moved slowly through the store. Glenn walked behind him. "You shoot me in the ass, I _will_ kill you, Short Round."

"Got ya," Glenn said quickly.

The rest of the mall was eerily empty as they traveled to the stairs at the back, near the door that would take them adjacent to the hospital. Daryl tried to keep his gun up, but every step was like sending red hot fire through his veins. Nichole and his seeking revenge kept him moving even when he Daryl felt the blood start flowing again.

Coming around the corner of the stairwell, Daryl found himself face to face with the barrel of a handgun. It immediately lowered as Alex looked at him with surprise on his features.

"Sorry, man. I thought you were...nevermind." Alex moved so they could step off the stairs and kept his gun trained towards the side door.

"Dead?" Daryl muttered, his gun coming up and pointing in the opposite direction. "Yeah, you and everyone else."

"We need to get moving and get the hell out of here," Glenn said.

"Not without my sister."

Daryl looked over at Glenn. "Get back to the others. Him and I have some things to finish."

"Not without me," Glenn argued. "You're already bleeding. How far you think you're gonna get?"

Because he could not argue with the Asian's logic, mainly because he did not want to waste the time, Daryl only shook his head and grunted, moving forward and to the door. The sun was low outside, the door shaded by the hospital across the way. Daryl shouldered the door open, his gun going first.

The guards standing outside the doors were taken by surprise. Daryl put a bulled in one's head, Glenn right behind him with the other. Alex had his gun pointed at the hospital doors, taking out the guard standing there. The time it took them to cross to the hospital was how long it took that guard to open his eyes again. Daryl lowered his gun and shot him in the head, giving Alex a look.

"Through the brain, kid."

Alex's eyes widened and he just nodded, following as Daryl kicked open the door to the hospital. Shots rang out, and Daryl picked off two more guards before he entered the blood splattered and powder burned remains of the once white lobby.

The small group made their way into the hospital's first floor, passing abandoned gurneys and examination rooms. Daryl stopped at a juncture, peeking around. One of the four men standing around the hall spotted him and opened fire. The hunter ducked back into his hall and pushed Glenn into an empty room, sliding in after and pulling Alex in before shutting the door and pushing one of the beds in front of it for a moment.

After a moment of listening to the guards pass the room, shouting to find the intruders, Daryl relaxed, listening to them pass. One of the guards was shouting something that Daryl only half heard, but it was enough to make him pause as realization dawned. He turned on Alex, passing the gun to Glenn, and backed the kid up to the wall, his arm across the kid's throat.

"Now you are going to tell me! Why the hell is your sister so important that they have _this_ many guards on her? This ain't just about keeping people, it's about keeping _her_!"

Alex was shaking, Daryl could feel the tremors through the arm pinning him to the wall. "I-I don't know! She won't tell me what she does when she's over here! All I know is that she is the best hunter th-they have!"

Daryl pressed him harder into the brick behind him. "Think! What would they want her for?"

"I really don't know!" he cried. Daryl saw the moment his eyes brightened as an idea struck. "She was doing a lot of research into viruses before she graduated!" he practically shouted into Daryl's face. "Maybe they have her working on that!"

His arm pulled back and Alex slid to the floor, massaging his neck. Taking a few steps back to Glenn, Daryl retrieved his gun and paced the room.

"They might have her working on a cure," the Asian said, rubbing his head through his hat. "I mean, she's a doctor, right? And pretty smart as far as I can see."

"She's more than smart," Alex said from the floor. "She's twenty five and has two PhD's. You don't understand how much she put into getting those. She's a veritable genius with anything medical."

"That bitch found the cause," Daryl muttered. "And they have her working on the cure." It was the only logical conclusion. After the bomb that Rick dropped on them not too long ago, Daryl knew that others would have found out as well. And having someone work on a cure like this would be invaluable.

"Hey!" Alex said, standing. "That _bitch_ is my sister!"

The look Daryl gave him shut the kid up instantly. Daryl went back to his pacing for a moment and glanced at Glenn. The former pizza boy shifted under his direct gaze.

"We need to split up," Daryl said. "Alex, you need to find the lab they had her working in. Grab whatever papers you can find and torch it. Glenn, go find where they stashed Lori and Carl. Get them back to the cars, and grab the girls. If this goes down, we'll need to haul ass out of here."

The two men nodded and Daryl pushed the bed out from in front of the door. Cracking it, he saw that the hall was empty and gestured for the other two to leave first. Daryl took a deep breath and waited for a moment before pushing the door open the rest of the way, heading down the way he had seen the guards earlier.


	12. Correcting The Status Quo

Nichole looked up at the man with the gun. This was the single most terrifying moment of her life. Far worse than having Walkers on her. They could be killed. These men were armed with more advanced weapons than she had ever had a chance to use.

To make matters worse, she knew that Daryl was probably dead. Why she allowed herself to become attached to someone like that was a mystery to her. Nick had directly caused her own grief and had no one to blame but herself. But grief could come later. Everything was compartmentalized into what she needed now and what was not needed until later.

Right now she needed to make sure she would live through this.

It was as simple as that, really. Nichole always did what they told her to do. From hunting, butchering, researching, doctoring, everything. She had cut open dead Walkers, done complete autopsies on dead group members, sat through vigil while bitten members had turned. But nothing had hardened her to the reality of the situation. While she found it hard to empathize with strangers, these people were not strangers. They were people she saw every day.

And since she was the one in charge of the research into the Walkers, those people tended to treat her like a plague carrier.

The simple unfairness of the entire situation made Nichole want to run away. But none of the groups passing through wanted someone who did not put in an effort to be part of the group she was already in. At least that was how they all saw it.

No one ever seemed to question the status quo. Not until Daryl came along and insulted her. A defense mechanism if Nichole was any judge. It was clear since that first incident that he like her, but he was also accustomed to being on his own. Now even he was gone, leaving Nichole here, stuck in that same place again.

Not that her research was going anywhere. Not since she had discovered the cause. Isolating that simple compound had been labor intensive. They wanted a cure, though. And Nichole could not give them one. She simply did not have the tools she needed to do so. Not here.

Gunfire sounded downstairs and Nichole jumped, eyes going to the door just past the guard. Outside was Robert's office. In his previous life, Robert was head of oncology. Now, he was the one who claimed responsibility for this place. Even if that meant doing things that went completely against the oath they had both taken to preserve life.

The door to the small side office opened, and Robert came in, his own pistol in hand. He gestured for the guard to move aside and knelt down next to Nick, testing the rope on her hands.

"This one is determined, isn't he?" Robert asked conversationally. "We might actually have to shoot him again."

"Wait, who?" Nichole allowed a bit of hope to enter her again as she glared up at Robert.

"You're little boyfriend. He's down there right now, killing my guards."

The breath left Nichole in one quick motion. Daryl? He was alive? And coming after her? She tried not to let her happiness leak through at that thought.

"Good!" she said bitterly. "It's nothing more than those thugs of yours deserve." It was not how she really felt, but it gave her some satisfaction that the guard shifted uneasily behind Robert. He was still young, probably just starting in the security track at either the hospital or the mall. Nichole kept her eyes locked on Robert, though.

"He _is_ going to die," Robert said, standing and leaving the room. The guard followed out into the main office, leaving Nichole sitting on the floor.

Her teeth went to work on the rope keeping her tied down. The knot was on the bottom, so it was awkward to reach without painfully squeezing her wrists. After several minutes of trying and failing, Nichole gave up that tactic and looked around the room, trying to find anything that could cut the rope.

Her weapons were still laying in the main office, so she did not have her knife. A thought occurred to Nichole and she shifted, feeling in her pocket. They had not searched her pants, so she still had the small folded knife tucked away. A small smile hit her lips as she worked one hand into the pocket and pulled out the knife.

It took some fumbling and nearly slicing a finger off to open the knife, and she put it in between her knees so she could start sawing at the rope. Carefully controlled movements split strands, but not enough to pull her hands free. Nichole wanted to move faster, but she knew she was risking serious injury if she hurried.

Nick had no idea what was happening outside the room. Gunfire sounded out in the hall, and she jumped, loosing the knife on the floor and feeling its sharp edge cut open her calf.

"Ahhh," Nichole groaned between her teeth. She put both hands on the leg, pulling it up so she could put pressure on the injury. It was not deep, but would bleed unless she wrapped it.

With her good leg, Nick put a foot on the rope still between her hands and pulled. The rope loosened, but not enough to comfortably slide off. Some of her skin was rubbed off as she forced her hands out, leaving friction burns on her palms and the back of her fingers.

The raw, burning sensation would last for some time, but Nichole tried her best to ignore it as she cut her pantleg off and made a quick bandage of it. Tying it off, the doctor pushed herself up and into a standing position, picking up her pocket knife as she did.

A sudden explosion from downstairs sent a shockwave through the floor, sending Nick sprawling. Another, second explosion sent a fireball upwards, out one of the windows, and the orange light streamed through the office window, lighting up the area. Nichole hurried to stand and went straight to the door, yanking it open.

Robert was standing at the window, looking appalled and scared. The guard turned to see her and pointed his gun directly at her head. Nichole did not have time to think, she ducked behind the nearest object, which was the large desk. Gunfire erupted around her, she heard the bullets biting into the polished wood and metal that shielded her.

"No!" was Robert's immediate shout. The gunfire stopped and she heard a slight struggle from the other two.

Just as quickly as it all began, it ended. Someone, and in the now flickering lights of the office, the only clue Nichole had as to the identity was the shape of a crossbow on his back, kicked open the office door and aimed his gun. Two quick shots went off and the gun was lowered again.

"Daryl?" Nichole said from under the desk. The man hurried over to her, gun dangling in the crook of his arm as he pressed his other hand to his side where Nichole could see the bloody bandages through the tear in his shirt.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," he said, grabbing her arm and hauling her up and back out the door as quick as their injured bodies would allow for.


	13. Aftermath

Daryl could not tell anyone what exactly occurred in the hospital. From the moment he left that room to the moment he dragged Nichole out into the low light outside, he had been on nothing but instinct. And now, as he was hurrying through the completely abandoned mall, he spotted Glenn standing at the open front door, waving for him to hurry. All other thought left him as he pushed Nichole into Glenn's waiting hands so she could be taken outside and he would be free to aim his gun where he needed to.

To give the girl credit, she did not react nearly as shocked or scared as he had expected. She simply ran, her slight limp telling him that she was injured more than he noticed at first. Daryl watched as she and Glenn rushed to the cars. The Asian jumped behind the wheel of the car holding Maggie, Beth, Lori, and Carl. Daryl could have cursed as he saw that the other vehicles were full too. He would have to take Nichole on the back of his bike.

But first the front gate needed to be opened. Daryl saw Alex standing near them, his gun flashing every now and then in the sun. The boy was doing his best to push the gate out, but it was at least a two man job. Giving a quick look around, he crossed the parking lot in a dash, slamming hard into the other side of the gate with his shoulder and putting all his weight into shoving it open.

The cars drove by, fast enough that they could not be stopped. The only one that slowed was the truck Rick was driving, and that was to allow T-dog to pull Alex into the back. Daryl tossed the black man his rifle and hurried back to where Nichole was standing, next to his bike.

He saw her backpack already strapped onto her shoulders, which was smart since the bike was not big enough to hold them and the bag. Daryl put his leg over it and gestured with his head for Nichole to join him. She was quick about it, wrapping her arms carefully around his ribs, under his arms, and he took off, revving the engine loud enough to echo throughout the compound they were leaving.

Daryl did not relax until they were at the road again. Heading westward, following the dying sunlight, he could no longer see that wall, the prison that had tried to claim him. Nichole's hands undid the strap holding his crossbow to his back and he felt her remove it with one hand so she could scoot closer to his back. The bow was held in both her hands in front of him, and he let a little smile hit him.

This was a good place to be.

-oOo-

_Three hours later..._

On the first floor of an abandoned motel on the side of the highway, three rooms had doors open and the rest were closed tightly. One of the open doors belonged to the room Daryl was currently in with Nichole, Glenn, and Maggie. The doctor was seeing to the wounds of the others, steadfastly ignoring her own. Daryl watched as she smiled up at Maggie, saying comforting words as she tended to the bullet hole in the girl's arm.

Not until the other two left did Daryl make Nichole sit on the bed, shutting the door and bolting it. "No more patients, you're getting seen to first."

She waved him off, moving to stand, but Daryl was quicker. To her obvious dismay, he was in front of her, both hands on her thighs, holding her down.

"Daryl, I have to go check on Hershel. He was shot, remember?"

"You've already seen to him. And every other fucking person in this traveling feast. At least let me wrap your hands up for you."

Her eyes flashed for a moment before she flopped backwards on the moldy bed, sending up swirls of dust with every movement. "Fine. But then I continue my rounds."

"Yes, doctor," he said sarcastically, picking up the bandages she had used on Maggie and the antiseptic they had found in the first aid kit at the main desk. "This might sting a bit."

Nichole hissed as he poured some of the liquid onto her hands and quickly wrapped them. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"That wasn't completely necessary," she shot in an annoyed tone.

"Then I'll have to do something to make up for it," Daryl said, slowly climbing on the bed so he was kneeling over her, his legs pinning her to the bed. "But that means you'll just have to let everyone else tend to their own for a while."

Her eyes widened quickly and a smile appeared. Nichole ran her bandaged fingers up his side and to his shoulders. "Really? And what sort of ideas are you having for this 'making up'?" she questioned in a playful voice.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Daryl teased.

The hunter looked down at her, his mind focused, but in the back, somewhere buried deep, he knew that passing through that place had been well worth all the trouble it had wrought.

-oOo-

_Research base, Fort Hood, TX_

Several of the world's best scientists sat in the room below where Former Army General Joseph Archer now sat. He watched them work through the large window in his office, glaring at the page in front of him. The last convoy that had come through a week ago had the research from somewhere in Georgia. Archer had sent it to his scientists to work on the cure.

Of course, he needed to find the doctor who originated the data these people were now using. He recognized the name as soon as it came across his desk and he was surprised that such a damaged person as her made it through the initial outbreak.

"General," came the voice of his second in command from behind him. "The scouts are ready for deployment."

"Great," Archer said, turning to look at the man who would have one day succeeded him in this position. "Tell them to be extra careful, I don't want my niece injured when they find her."

"Yes, sir," came the automatic response as the XO turned and left. Archer smiled to himself as he looked out the window once more, watching the scientists.

"We wouldn't want to scare Nichole away, after all," he said to the empty room behind him.

**A/N: **A big thank you to everyone who made it all the way through this story with me. And a HUGE thank you to anyone who favorited/reviewed for me. Unfortunately this is the end of this story, but I left the it open because, yes, there is more. I need to do something to occupy myself until season three comes out. And why not build a huge conspiracy network? ;D


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